Snapshot: Best of Kunming Awards 2016-2017

The Best of Kunming Awards Ceremony 2016-2017 was a rousing success, with around 300 people attending for a night of fun, music and of course, recognition of the best venues, businesses and destinations the Spring City has to offer.

Image: Yuan Zhengwei

An event of this size required the work of dozens of individuals and organizations, and all hinged on GoKunming's fantastic user-base input and feedback. To everyone involved, we extend our heartfelt thanks. Below is a snapshot of what went on during the awards show, as well as a look at those who made it all possible.

Any ceremony, no matter the magnitude, requires a venue. This year, as with the last two, the Best of Kunming Awards Ceremony was held at the ACMEC Media Exhibition Center atop Jinding Mountain (金鼎山).

Image: William Gray

Just as an awards show needs a setting, it also demands winners. These were provided by GoKunming users, and in three other categories, by WeChat followers. Voters on both platforms turned out in droves to cast votes for their favorite Spring City enterprises.

Image: William Gray

Our special thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out and submit a ballot, including those who won our voter prizes. The voting and awards are community events, and without user input, neither would be possible.

Image: William Gray

As with our three previous awards shows, music was an important component. The 2016-2017 awards featured two sets of champagne jazz performed by what is perhaps Yunnan's most internationally diverse band, t'Mo.

Image: William Gray

DJ Viandoks provided the perfect mix of music from the beginning to the end of the show, while also handling soundboard responsibilities during a night of speeches, videos and general merriment.

Image: William Gray

The performances were fantastic, and kept the crowd entertained between the more formal awards presentations overseen by GoKunming co-owner Yereth Jansen and his fabulous co-host Tindy.

Image: William Gray

Handing out commemorative plaques and trophies was the focus of the evening, and this year we gave out awards in 17 categories, as chosen on both the website and through WeChat. For a list of the winners, see our complete list for 2016-2017.

Image: William Gray

In an added bit of fun, we held a lucky draw for all of the attendees. The giveaway featured hotel and resort stays in places such and Shaxi, while also featuring vouchers, absolutely lovely floral arrangements everywhere by Anthura, and tickets to performances of Dynamic Yunnan, among many others.

Special thanks also are in order to some behind the scenes heroes who helped make the evening run as smoothly as we could ever have hoped. Our gratitude goes out Jonas, Xiao Xi and Alfie for helping make a video and taking care of the event's photography needs.

Image: William Gray

We would also like to thank Colin, Jeff and John for spontaneously auctioning off lucky draw prizes for charity, DT Bar for keeping the beer extra cold and Philippe and Sabrina for providing jack of all trades assistance.

Image: William Gray

In addition, Sevan kept everyone on schedule while Joan made sure people found seats and were handed the proper awards.

Image: William Gray

Again, thanks to everyone who voted in the awards, everyone who attended the event, all of the winners, our volunteers, everyone on the exhausted GoKunming team, and especially those who use and make the website a better, more informative and fun resource for all things South of the Clouds. Until next year!

GoKunming

About

GoKunming is the online resource for Yunnan Province and its capital city, Kunming. We offer up-to-date information regarding events, local businesses, news, nightlife and travel, as well as incredibly active user-generated classified and forum sections. GoKunming is southwest China’s largest and best English-language website.